Chinese-made espionage-capable electric vehicles were supposed to be the subject of another post. But I got sidetracked by assertions by David Cottam, “British historian and former principal of Sha Tin College, Hong Kong,” one of the Westerners who propagandize for the Chinese Communist Party in China Daily.
Any suggestion that Chinese-made EVs could be used to spy are just ridiculous, says Cottam.
Last year, the UK Spectator’s Charles Parton reported otherwise. He noted that every new electric car contains a cellular Internet of things (CIM) module (“Could China spy on us through our electric cars?” August 7, 2023).
The CIM is a vital component of the system which controls the sensors, cameras, audio, geolocation capability, engine and more. Connected to the internet like your mobile phone, it acts as the gateway for information to go in and out of a car. Manufacturers use that information to improve design and performance. They send back software improvements and updates….
So why are ministers worried? Back in January, iNews reported that ‘officials had dismantled British government vehicles and swept them deliberately for Chinese tracking [CIMs].’… And they are not secretly placed, as alleged, but a necessary part of the car’s control unit. Nevertheless, they do egress data, and not just geolocation data. There were distressing reports earlier this year that Tesla engineers have shared film from cameras in people’s personal cars, including from inside Elon Musk’s garage, unbeknownst to their owners.
Audio data can also be transmitted back…. How many ministers use their time in cars to discuss the next piece of urgent business? How can it be a good idea to allow the Chinese to know all the to-ings and fro-ings of the prime minister in real time (or even in the future, by analysing preparatory visits made by the PM’s security officers)?…
China is a world leader in new electric vehicles….
And the threat is not just from Chinese marques, or from Chinese-owned companies such as Volvo and MG. Any car with a CIM made by a Chinese manufacturer, such as Quectel or Fibocom, could have its data sucked up by the Communist party.
The threat is not just data gathering. Vehicles can be incapacitated by sending a command via the CIM.
These considerations seem worth considering. Is it reasonable to suppose that CCP officials and functionaries, unscrupulous on principle, will be more scrupulous than Tesla employees about rooting around in private data that the Party might put to what it regards as good use?
Also see:
StopTheChinazis.org: “The Spies Charging in the Garage: Electric Cars From China”
Council on Geostrategy: “Chinese cellular (IoT) modules: Countering the threat”
Reuters: “Tesla workers shared sensitive images recorded by customer cars”
